Planning and Zoning Commission - Regular Meeting

Oh, commissioner Adityc, can you hear us?

Yes. I can.

Alright. Thank you. Alright. Public business from the floor. Is it time for anyone in the audience to address us on a nonagended item? We have one staff member in the audience. Alright. New business item number one, approval of temporary land use permit 25Dash09 for Granite Construction Company for a one and a 1.9 acre portion of Track C 1, A S L S 79 Dash 116, owned by the city of Valdez. No. I'll second. Moved by commissioner Bolton, seconded by commissioner Goodreau. Any discussion on this one? I agree.

Yeah. No. This is not an objection by any means, but, I did send an email earlier today to, Kate about just the timing of these applications. So it's they wanted to start the seventh, but they didn't submit it to the fifteenth. We are the twenty third. And just being the point really isn't I I asked for this little baby history on the timeline. Not that I don't wanna approve it, but, yeah, from my time on council, I never liked seeing stuff after the fact. And it makes me think a little bit about their planning and what their idea was when they took this project and that they're here. And then, you know, they set up signs to do work, and they don't have anywhere to do their asphalt plant. If there was an issue with this property, again, I'm not saying there is, you know, that seems to

Yeah. Yeah. Would delay, though. Sure.

I'll I'll, speak to it, and then we also have multiple representatives from Granite online, so I'll let them add to it if needed. But, yeah, it's a great question. So just for the commission's awareness, typically and per code, an application should be submitted at least fourteen days in advance from needing a temporary land use permit so that we do have time. But it's not always enough time with a permit that requires commission approval, but that at least gives us time for administrative approval. In this case, from my understanding that Grant was not aware of the need for the temporary land use permit, and then we had city staff who was at the site because we're working on a renewal of the gravel lease at that site who observed that they were operating there.

And as soon as we informed them that there was a permit required, they responded immediately and submitted an application. So again, the applicant is online. I don't know if Ben or somebody else on the line would like to speak to that process, but my understanding is that they were unaware of the requirement, and as soon as we made them aware, they responded immediately, and then we brought it before you.

And would that be if I may continue. Would that be more of an issue because this was a state project?

So, yes. I'll let the applicant speak to it. It is a state project. Also, I suspect because there is an asphalt batch plant at this site for, Harris sand and gravel who has a permit to do gravel extraction at this site, that I think that probably played into the confusion, of not understanding that a permit would be required, that it actually is city property. And any time that we have somebody who has a permit for gravel extraction, a gravel lease, that's not actually a land lease, it's not actually a land interest.

They have a permit to go in and extract gravel. So we see that as a point of confusion and we actually had the same situation arise with a different gravel lease a few years ago where a different construction company needed or desired to operate a plant at that site. And so we went through the same process with them. But at that time, we kind of had to we worked with the city attorney to determine what was appropriate since there is an existing gravel lease at that site. And so what we settled on is the same process that you saw in that in the packet tonight where we had the the person who holds the gravel lease, in this case, Harris, Sand, and Gravel, submit a letter of nonobjection just so that you all know that the person operating there is aware that Granite will be on-site and that they can work together.

And so that's the same process that we went through before, but I don't think it's well known amongst the public that that's a necessary step. So I know if you'd like to hear from the applicant, but they are on the line.

If they wish, I mean, that was a good explanation. That was what I was worrying about. I don't I don't like being behind the curtain or putting a bad place where, like, well, they're already working. So, you know, if there was an issue with the property, we'd be in a tight spot to approve it regardless.

Right.

Again, not saying that with this curtain site, but in the future. And thinking if it was a city project, that probably would have been a little more clear, but since working with the state, this and

that. Right.

I'm glad you brought that up. Would the applicant care to address this on this? You're not required to, but if you'd like to say something, this would be a good time.

Yeah. This is, Ben Lamarin from Granite. I was just going to comment that's a pretty accurate representation. We were unaware of the the permit requirements for that, the land use application. And as soon as we got the notification, we turned in the application the same day.

Alright. Thank you. Anyone else have concerns or questions? I would agree with commissioner Molten and say this is a good project and good use of the land, and I'm in favor of it. And I had the same concern, and I was wondering I didn't realize they'd already set up the plant. I was wondering if we should consider dating it today instead of post dating it so they don't have to pay so much. But that would be up to you guys if anybody wanted to propose that. I I suppose if they've already set up the project, maybe we shouldn't. We

should just go ahead with that date.

Okay. Let's go ahead and vote then.

Okay. All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye. Aye.

Those opposed, please say nay. With that, we have six yeas, one absent, commissioner Wade. Motion carries.

Thank you very much. And thank you applicant for being forthcoming and taking care of this as soon as you found out about it. Moving on to reports. We have one written report for a temporary land use permit 25Dash05 to the fire week 400 inc for the ball fields. Any questions on the report or any additions from staff? And then we have the community director development director's report. Miss Virgow?

Yeah. I have just really just one item for you tonight. I just wanted to make sure that the commission was aware that we have the ongoing housing needs assessment project that we've been working with Agnew a firm out of Anchorage on. And so was a I knew back to the presentation at the last city council meeting. The report is not finalized yet.

It was kind of a midpoint presentation. So they went over some of the results of the community survey and then some of the other kind of trends they're seeing in the data analysis. So, I would be happy to send those slides over to the commission if you are interested in seeing that data. Again, it's preliminary. We will have a final report coming this fall, But there there's some interesting information on the projected number of dwelling units that will need to be added to the community as well as the number of dwellings that will probably need some, rehabilitation or replacement in the next ten years, and then also some information related to the different income brackets and the needs within the income brackets.

So it's preliminary, and it's in the council work session from sorry. I don't have the date in front of me from the last city council meeting. That would have been yeah. I think it was the fifteenth, July 15. Sorry. I should have had that in front of me, but I didn't pull up the calendar. So the recording is there from July 15 if anyone is interested in listening. And I can also share those slides if the commission wants an agenda.

That'd be nice. All right. Any questions?

Oh, Mo? Yeah. That's a hand right here.

I wanted to just ask. I I I knew that you had told us about that on the fifteenth was the work session. And then but that audio's not on the website yet. And then but is it the information shared also in the city council meeting, you're saying?

Yeah. So it is a work session, so there won't be minutes. But they should have if the if the recording is not yet live on the website, it should be live very soon. There's not usually much of a delay. So the recording for a work session will be made available if you want to watch the presentation. I can also share the slides that we we used during that work session.

Okay. Because it was at the work session, not the city council meeting. Is that correct?

Yes. It was a work session that started at 6PM. So there won't be detailed minutes posted, but there should be a recording.

Usually, there's audio. Yeah. I I I say the audio for the actual meeting is posted, but not the work session. Just so I don't know if there's

Oh, good to know. I I will ask about that tomorrow.

K. Thanks. And, yeah, I would like to see the press the presentation packet you

Alright. Thank you.

K. Thanks.

Commissioner, did you have something?

Yeah. I had that on my calendar. And, from last week, I was in a different time zone probably playing a rousing game of family bocce ball at a family reunion last week during that. But there was also the Camp and RV meeting last week, I believe. Does planning zoning have anything to do with that? I had it on my calendar, but, again, it was different time zone, so I didn't I didn't tune in.

So that was an ordinance change to the, camping section of the ordinance. The Planning and Zoning Commission didn't have a direct role in in it except that one of the main, goals of that update was to bring that section of code in alignment with title 17 because, part of the the previous code for camping in the city laid out the requirements for RV parks, and that was something that we did address during the title 17 update. So now the requirements for RV parks lives in title 17 in the zoning code, and so that was all removed from the camping ordinance. So that was, a long process with city council to get that ordinance updated, and there was a lot of back and forth. But ultimately, they ended up with a very simplified version of that title.

So if you want to review what was adopted that night, if you go to the agenda packet for July 15, you can review the final ordinance. It won't yet be updated in the online code as the codifiers have a process. But if you wanna see what it was changed to, it's in that agenda packet to review. And that was the second reading, so it was adopted. There was there was not a lot of discussion at the meeting. There was one public comment, though.

Because I I went to the one of the work sessions months ago on that. Did they did the did that encompass the city setting up the overflow camping that was discussed prior?

It was significantly reduced from like, almost entirely removed from what was originally proposed. So the the version that was adopted is much more simplified than what was originally proposed

Okay.

For the update.

K. Thank you. Thank you.

Any other comments on the director's report? Alright. We'll move on to commission business from the floor and start at the end with commissioner Bides.

Sorry. I was late. I have nothing.

Thank you. Commissioner Malton.

All my needs have been met.

Thank you.

Alright. Thank you. Commissioner Mitchell. I have nothing. And commissioner Goodrell? Nothing. No. I have nothing. Thank you all for being here. Alright. We are adjourned.

Fifteen minutes. Okay. On a sunny day.

Yeah. Yeah.